Boston Celtics: 2 studs from C’s epic Game 3 victory to take series lead

Boston Celtics stud No. 1) Robert Williams III

Seemingly all postseason long, Robert Williams III, though having been impactful in his own right in most of the games that he’s suited up for, has been a slightly diluted version of himself as he continues to heal up from late-season knee surgery that sidelined him for nearly a month of action.

In Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals, however, it appeared as though the breakout star that he became throughout this year’s campaign managed to finally show up for the Boston Celtics, as he played a major role in the team’s dominant play on both ends of the floor.

Seeing just shy of 26 minutes of action, Time Lord served as a tremendous lob threat, a much-needed supplier of energy, and, of course, a defensive juggernaut.

Particularly in this last department, the big man’s presence was absolutely captivating, as he swatted a bevy of shots and altered the trajectory of a plethora of others while also keeping his hands active when both feet were planted on the ground, as he swiped his paws into plenty of passing lanes and forced a change in possession on numerous occasions.

By the time the game came to its joyous end, Williams saw himself boasting a tremendous stat-sheet stuffing logline of eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and a whopping four blocks on a highly efficient 80 percent shooting from the field.

With his performance, the 24-year-old’s basketball IQ was on full display while his knee looked as though it is inching its way back to full strength. Should this actually be the case, and mid-season Williams proves to officially be back, the Celtics will likely be coming across more outcomes such as this moving forward.

This type of care-free hustle has been sorely missed during their playoff run thus far and it was incredibly beneficial in their Game 3 victory Wednesday night.